Flower Girl
by Angie Morse
Summary: This story follows Lily through all of her Hogwarts years, starting when she first recieves her letter. Let's just say that James in a French Maid outfit isn't a pretty picture. Well, according to Sirius, that is.
1. The Letter

A/N: Hi ya'll! This is my first attempt at a Lily/James story. It has a slight twist, so I hope ya'll enjoy! Ang  
  
  
  
Lily Evans awoke to the sound of her older sister, Petunia, yelling at her.  
  
"Lily Evans! Get up! Why are you so lazy? Didn't Mom teach you..." Petunia's obnoxiously whiny voice was suddenly cut off by the soft, silvery voice of their mother.  
  
"Petunia, I asked you to wake your sister up nicely. Lily dear, Remus is here." Camille Evans told them. Lily sat up immediately.  
  
"Coming! Give me, um, 5 minutes?" Lily called down the stairs. She and Remus were old friends. They'd grown up together. Remus grinned. He knew full well that Lily was never awake by this time, and he'd come to surprise her. Camille forced him to sit and eat some pancakes. Lily flew down the stairs a few minutes later.  
  
"Hi! What's up, Remus?" Lily took the seat next to his, and her mother handed her a plate and a letter. The letter had her name and address written in green ink on it. She looked at the letter, slightly confused. Remus grinned. He'd gotten his letter that morning as well.  
  
Lily read the contents of her acceptance letter to Hogwarts, and screamed. She dropped the letter in confusion. Remus laughed.  
  
"Lils, I got one too. There are some things that I need to tell you about. I'm a wizard. I've known all of my life. And I've known for quite a while that you'd have magic in you too. Hogwarts is the greatest school that there is. Well, in mine and my parent's opinion at least. But we get to go there! It's going to be so awesome!" Remus barely got his words out in his excitement. Lily's eyes lit up.  
  
"You're going too?! We'll be at school together? Cool! It'll be so much fun!" Lily breathed. Camille smiled. Remus had told her everything about her daughter's school while they were waiting. "Oh, I have so much to learn! You'll have to help me. Promise, Remus?" Lily pleaded.  
  
"I promise. And, I also promise that you'll finally get to meet James and Sirius." Remus grinned. Lily had been begging to meet them ever since he got home last year from vacation and told her all about them.  
  
James Potter and Sirius Black both lived near Remus's grandmother's home, and Remus had told Lily about all of their adventures. He had even told her about the wolf bite. She was one of only a few people who knew about him being a werewolf. Lily hugged Remus.  
  
"Oh I don't know how I'd bear leaving home without you going too! This is so wonderful! Oh Mother, I can go, can't I?" Lily whirled around to face her mother, hoping that she'd say yes. Petunia snorted.  
  
"Freaks. Mother, don't let her go. She has enough problems as it is. We don't need her embarrassing the family by becoming even more of a freak." Petunia sniffed.  
  
"Petunia! That's enough! Your sister is not a freak. I think it's wonderful that she has been accepted to this school. I'm very proud of Lily. Yes dear, you may go. Now run along and have some fun today." Camille smiled at her youngest daughter. Petunia stormed off to her room. Lily grabbed Remus's hand and dragged him outside.  
  
Lily started giggling. Remus laughed. They both collapsed onto the ground, and lay there for a while, looking up at the clouds. This was a favorite pastime for both of them.  
  
"What will it be like, Remus?" Lily asked, tentatively. She wouldn't admit it, but Lily was terrified. Remus smiled, and told her everything that he knew about Hogwarts. By the time he was through, Lily had a dreamy look in her eyes.  
  
"I hope I'm in Gryffindor." Lily sighed. "Or, at least in the same house as you. I couldn't bear for us to be separated."  
  
"Hope for Gryffindor. But you know we'll be together, Lils. We're too much alike for anything different." Remus reassured her. Lily smiled. "Best friends for life, remember Lils?"  
  
"Best friends for life. Of course." Lily smiled. 


	2. Diagon Alley

A/N: Hmm, seems that this was received well. So, therefore I wrote chapter 2! Ang  
  
  
  
Remus grinned to himself, and dumped the water bucket all over the sleeping Lily. She awoke with a scream.  
  
"Remus Lupin! How could you!? That was so cold!" Lily scolded him. Remus merely laughed. Lily jumped out of bed and chased Remus down the stairs and outside, where she pushed him into the small pond. Remus came up, sputtering.  
  
"Lily! That wasn't cool!" He started laughing suddenly. "Are we done with this revenge game? We're going to Diagon Alley today, remember?" Lily nods.  
  
  
  
"I remember. I'm so excited too!" Lily bounced back up the stairs, and Remus laughed. He waited patiently until Lily returned. He and Lily were going to Diagon Alley to get their school supplies today. Remus's parents were taking them both, much to the relief of Camille and Todd Evans.  
  
"Good morning, Lily. Excited about school?" Sky Lupin asked. Lily nodded.  
  
"Oh, yes Mrs. Lupin. Thank you so much for taking Remus and I to Diagon Alley today!" Lily smiled at Sky. Sky laughed. Remus glared at Lily.  
  
"Oh sure Lils, make me look bad in front of my mom.. Must you always be the polite one?" Remus growled, earning a glare from his mother. Lily grinned.  
  
"Sorry, Remmy darling. I'll teach you how to be a lady someday if you want." Lily teased. Remus glared at Lily, much to the amusement of Camille and Sky.  
  
"Mom, can we just go already?" Remus asked, impatient. Sky laughed, and nodded.  
  
An hour later, Lily and Remus had done most of their school supply shopping. Lily was in complete awe of the wizarding world, and Remus loved to tease her about it.  
  
"Lilybean, you're too funny." Remus informed her, and laughed at the look she gave him for using her childhood nickname. "I mean, honestly, it's not that crazy here." Lily shrugged. "Let's get you your pet, ok? Cat, toad, or rat? Let me guess. Cat?"  
  
"Of course a cat! I love cats!" Lily squealed, excited. Remus grinned and led her into the Magical Menagerie store. They emerged a little while later with an amber colored cat. Lily cuddled the kitten close to her, cooing softly. Remus looked on, laughing.  
  
"So what's her name, Lils?" Remus asked.  
  
"I think I'll call her Copper. That's a good name for her, isn't it?" Lily looked to Remus for reassurance. He nodded, taking the kitten from Lily. He placed her onto a fence post, and drew his wand. Remus tapped Copper once on each shoulder.  
  
"I dub the Copper. Serve your mistress well." Remus managed to keep a straight face. Copper looked at Remus like he was out of his mind. Lily giggled.  
  
"You're crazy, Remus." Lily informed him. Remus grinned and bowed.  
  
"Why thank you, milady. May I offer you my arm and escort you to The Leaky Cauldron, in which they serve refreshments?" Remus bowed again, offering his arm to Lily. Lily rolled her eyes, and walked past him. Remus laughed, and ran to catch up to her.  
  
  
  
A/N: Disclaimer time. I own the plot alone. For now, at least. Everything else is J.K. Rowling's. Don't bother suing. You'll get, umm.. *checks pocket * $10. It's not worth it. 


	3. Enemies and Friends

A/N: I faithfully promise that this will be the longest chapter yet of the story. I know that doesn't really say much, but deal with it. Joking. Ang  
  
  
  
Lily took a deep breath, and stepped onto the Hogwarts Express, waving goodbye to her family. Remus was supposedly somewhere on board, saving a seat for her. A tall blonde haired boy walked by, pushing her out of his way. He looked at her and smirked.  
  
"Watch where you're going. Don't you know who I am?" He sneered. Lily met him look for look.  
  
"No, should I? Oh, wait, was your name in the Guinness Book of World Records for biggest jerk?" Lily looked at the boy innocently. He glared at her.  
  
"Watch it, mudblood. You need to learn your rank around here. Below me." He sneered again. Lily had had enough of him.  
  
"If you're finished, kindly get out of my way." She said, keeping her voice sweet. Lily tried to step past him, but he grabbed her arm roughly.  
  
"No one talks to Lucius Malfoy like that!" Lucius growled. Lily was slightly afraid, but she kept her presence.  
  
"Malfoy? I've heard the name. Now, please move." Lily glared at him. Suddenly, a black haired boy seized Malfoy's wrist. Malfoy looked at him in surprise, releasing Lily.  
  
"Lucius, leave the girl alone. Go find your little friends and disappear. No one wants you around." He told Lucius boldly. Lucius glared at him, and left. The boy smiled at Lily. "I'm sorry about him. Lucius is sort of dumb like that. Are you hurt?"  
  
"I'm not hurt, and I was fine on my own, thank you very much. I didn't need you to interfere!" Lily glared at him. The boy seemed shocked.  
  
"I did you a favor! That's not how I expected to be treated." He replied. "You know, a thank you would be nice!"  
  
"Oh fine then. Thank you. Thank you for interfering where you had no business doing so, and thank you for making me seem completely weak and helpless. I owe you my life." Lily's voice was dripping with sarcasm.  
  
"You're quite welcome." He replied, full of his own confidence. Lily scowled at him, and was about to respond when she heard Remus laughing. Remus was leaning against a door, tears rolling down his face, he was laughing so hard.  
  
"Remus Lupin, what do you find so funny?!" Lily demanded, wheeling on her old friend. Remus shook his head, unable to reply. Lily tapped her foot impatiently, waiting for an answer.  
  
"Lily darling, I'd like to introduce you to a friend of mine. James Potter. James, this is Lily Evans, the girl I was telling you about." Remus gasped between laughs. Lily paled instantly. James raised an eyebrow.  
  
"So this is the girl you sent us to find, Remus? Are you crazy? She's, well, umm, nevermind. James Potter." He extended his hand to Lily, who shook it reluctantly.  
  
"Lils, I sent him and Sirius to help me find you. Glad we did." Remus told her. Lily merely nodded.  
  
"She was discussing matters with Lucius when I found her, Remus." James informed his friend. Remus looked at Lily, concerned.  
  
"Are you ok, Lily? Did he hurt you?" Remus's normally teasing voice was filled with worry. James looked on in curiousity. Lily shook her head, rubbing her wrist unconsciously.  
  
"No, he's just a jerk. Told him so, too." She smiled faintly. James and Remus laughed.  
  
"Yeah, she did. Said something about having seen his name in the World Records book for biggest jerk." James laughed. Remus laughed harder.  
  
"Lils, it's a good thing that you're friends with us. Lucius Malfoy is quite powerful, and will do everything in his power to make school hell for you. But you've got me on your side. James, you too?" He questioned. James grinned.  
  
"You've got me there for you too. And Sirius, wherever that boy is." He glanced around, and grinned. He waved to a dark haired boy, who came over immedietly.  
  
"Remus, Jamsie. Hogwarts at last." Sirius grinned. He saw Lily suddenly, and smiled charmingly at her. Lily couldn't help thinking how incredibly handsome all three of these boys were, although Remus would never be more than a best friend.  
  
"Hey Sirius. This is Lily Evans, as you may have guessed. She managed to find a wonderful enemy already. Lucius Malfoy." Remus scowled at the name. Sirius looked at Lily in appreciation.  
  
"That takes some skill, Lily. I'm Sirius Black. I trust that these two scoundrels have already volunteered their services as your knights in shining armor, but a lady can never have to many, so allow me to be the third." Sirius swept into a bow, grinning. Lily laughed.  
  
"They didn't phrase it quite like that, but yes, they have." Lily smiled.  
  
"We're the scoundrels?! You're the one who... Oh nevermind." James scowled at Sirius. Sirius grinned, and winked to Lily. The four of them found an empty compartment, and passed the time by playing Exploding Snap and planning pranks. 


	4. Nicknames

A/N: Hey ya'll. I don't really know what to say in my note, so I'll just kind of skip it and get to the story. Wait! I thought of something. The chapter is nice and long for once, so no complaining that it's short. Just teasing! Ang  
  
  
  
A simultaneous gulp resounds in the cabin when the conductor announces that they will arrive at Hogwarts in an hour. All four of them laugh.  
  
"At least I'm not the only one who's nervous here." Lily told them thankfully. They all laughed nervously. "Although, I may have the most right of any of us. You three at least knew you'd come here someday. I had no idea." Remus grinned.  
  
"She's got a point. Poor ickle Lilybean didn't know she was a wizard until. Oww! Hey!" Remus shielded himself from Lily, who was pounding her fists on Remus's arms.  
  
"Do Not Call Me Lilybean!" She yelled at him. Sirius and James grinned, and leaned back to enjoy the spectacle.  
  
"Sorry sorry Lils! I forgot. Only your boyfriend is allowed to call you Lilybean. Ya know, it's almost worth asking you out for, just for.. Oww! Sheesh, girl! Take a joke!" Remus was forced to defend himself against Lily yet again. "I won't ask you out then!"  
  
James and Sirius were holding their sides, doubling over with laughter. Lily gave Remus her nastiest death glare, which, in truth, wasn't all that bad. Remus grinned evilly.  
  
"Jamsie, ask her out!" Remus called to his friend. James stopped laughing instantly. Sirius laughed harder when James and Lily both blushed slightly. Sirius wiped a tear from his eye.  
  
"What about me, Remus? How come I can't ask her out?" Sirius sulked. Remus glared at him.  
  
"No way in hell are you going anywhere near Lily. She's too innocent, and I happen to like her that way. You'd ruin her!" Remus told Sirius. James laughed.  
  
"And James wouldn't? Come on! He's as bad, if not worse, than I am, Remus!" Sirius argued.  
  
"And where exactly does my opinion come into play?" Lily demanded.  
  
"I'm your best friend, so I decide whom you date and when." Remus teased Lily. Lily glared at him.  
  
"Dream on, Remmybear." Lily tossed at him. Both Sirius and James raised an eyebrow at the nickname. Remus sulked, glaring back at Lily for the nickname. "You drop Lilybean, I drop Remmybear. Deal?" She offered her hand. Remus hesitated, and shook on it.  
  
"Deal. And if either of you two ever call me Remmybear." He left the threat open-ended. The guys were too busy laughing to respond. Lily gets a serious look on her face.  
  
"Hmmm... Remmybear, Jamsiepie, and Siridarling... I like it." Lily mused. "I suppose I can deal with Lilybean." She ruffled Remus's hair.  
  
"Jamsiepie?!" James demanded.  
  
"Siridarling!? At least Remmybear is somewhat cute!" Sirius argued.  
  
"Did you just call me cute?!" Remus looked at Sirius in shock. Lily nearly fell off of her chair, she was laughing so hard.  
  
"I called your nickname cute, not you, you psycho!" Sirius glared at Remus.  
  
  
  
"It didn't sound like it..." Remus retorted. Lily giggled.  
  
"Don't worry, boys, I faithfully promise to never call you by your nicknames outside of the 4 of us. If I break my promise, may I always live with my sister Petunia." Lily told them solemnly. Remus shuddered.  
  
"That's a fair promise, then. Petunia's an evil person." Remus told his friends, who reluctantly agreed to Lily's terms. "I mean, really evil. Scariest person I've ever met." Lily laughed.  
  
"You never had to live with her!" She scolded Remus.  
  
"Naw, but I was over at your house often enough that she was like my older sister. Scary woman. Didn't like her at all." Remus nodded matter-of- factly. Sirius laughed. James shuddered.  
  
"She sounds like my cousin, Marie. Marie's extremely evil. I mean, every time I have to go to a family reunion, she attaches herself to me, because she's little miss perfect. Makes me look bad every time." James shuddered again. Remus grinned.  
  
"Sounds like you and Lilybean have something in common, Jamsie. Evil relatives." Remus teased.  
  
"I've got a scary and evil Aunt Marge, if that counts." Sirius cut in, not wanting to be left out. Both he and James found Lily to be uncommonly pretty, and they were of the age to start thinking seriously about girls. Remus rolled his eyes.  
  
"Can we get off the subject of evil relatives, please? I came here to get away from Petunia, not remember her every moment of the day." Lily pleaded, much to the amusement of the guys.  
  
"Sure, Lils. Whatever milady wishes, milady receives." Sirius teased, and Lily laughed.  
  
"You certainly are the charmer, Sirius. I'll have to remember not to trust a single word you say." Lily countered. Remus and James burst out laughing. James marked another tally in his small notebook. He had been doing that the entire trip. Finally, Lily's curiosity got the best of her.  
  
"What is that, James?" She inquired. James showed the notebook to her. In it was 3 columns. They were each titled with one of the three names. Lily, Remus, and Sirius. Under each was a set of tally marks. Lily's column was the most full. Sirius had the least. James grinned.  
  
"I've been tallying the debate between you three, marking down who wins the most points. As you can see, Lily, you're beating both of these guys pretty badly." James smiled slowly at her. Lily laughed.  
  
"I knew that all along, but it's still nice to be able to prove it." Lily joked. Remus and Sirius sulked. Remus stuck his tongue out at Sirius.  
  
"Lily may be winning, but I'm in second." Remus laughed. Sirius scowled. Lily smiled sweetly.  
  
"Sorry Siridarling, I'm just like that. And Remus has tons of practice at arguing and debating with me. You'll get better." Lily consoled Sirius. Sirius scowled again. James and Remus laughed.  
  
"The Hogwarts Express will arrive at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in 5 minutes time! Please change into your school robes now, and prepare to depart." The voice boomed over the loud speaker. All four of the inhabitants of the cabin froze in terror. This was it. 


	5. The Sorting

A/N: Hey ya'll. Here's chapter 5! Enjoy! Angie  
  
  
  
Remus gripped Lily's hand protectively as they stepped off of the Hogwarts Express. Lily smiled faintly at the strength of his grip. She knew that he was pretending to be concerned about his best friend's fear, but that he was as terrified as she was.  
  
On the other side of Lily, Sirius was silent for the first time that day. James looked thoughtful instead of scared. She looked at him, envious of his nonchalance. James caught the glance and flashed Lily a slow, sweet smile. Lily couldn't resist smiling back.  
  
"First years, over here! Four to a boat! Hurry up! There's a storm brewing!" A loud voice boomed. Lily froze suddenly in terror. Sirius started to pull Lily towards an empty boat. Lily was struggling frantically against him. Remus laughed, and gently took her other arm.  
  
"Lily has a major fear of boats, and I must confess, that it's my fault." Remus explained. Lily glared at him.  
  
"You're right! Tell them what you did, Remus!" She demanded. Remus grinned sheepishly.  
  
"Later, ok? We have to get going." Remus reminded her. Lily wanted none of it, though. Sirius decided to cut in.  
  
"Lily, my dear girl, Remus, James, and I have already sworn to protect you from the evil Lucius Malfoy. I faithfully promise to protect you from any harm while you are in this boat with me. If I fail at my job, and you get hurt, even so much as a hangnail, may I never play a prank in all seven years here at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Sirius ended his speech with a sweeping bow. Lily laughed and allowed Sirius to lead her to a boat. Remus shook his head, laughing, and he and James joined them in the boat.  
  
Lily clung to one side of the boat. Remus chuckled, and tried to rest his hand on her arm. Lily shoved it away. James smiled, and rested his arm on the side of the boat behind Lily. She smiled at him thankfully, and relaxed a bit. Remus grinned and Sirius scowled.  
  
The boat glided slowly to a halt at the other end of the lake. Sirius jumped out and offered his arm to Lily. Lily smiled, and accepted his help. She laughed softly at the three boys, standing there, eager for her attention. Nearby, Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape glared over at Lily and her three knights.  
  
All of the first years were directed into the entranceway. As soon as the doors shut, the storm broke loose. Lily breathed a sigh of relief, and allowed herself to look around. Her eyes wandered around in complete awe. Remus chuckled at her side.  
  
"Stop gaping, country girl." He instructed. Lily blushed slightly. She'd never seen anything like Hogwarts before in her life. All of the first years, minus Lucius and Severus, of course, gulped when they were directed into the great hall. Lily looked at Remus in terror when they entered. There were so many people there!  
  
The sorting hat began its song, but Lily heard nothing of it. Sirius winked at her when his name was called. He strode up to the stool confidently, and placed the sorting hat on his head. It had barely touched his head when it shouted "Gryffindor!"  
  
Sirius grinned back at them, and took his seat among the cheering Gryffindors. Lily shifted uncomfortably while waiting for her turn. Finally, her name was called. Remus squeezed her hand once before Lily went to the stool.  
  
Lily's mind was completely jumbled when she placed the sorting hat on. But the hat knew just where to put her. "Gryffindor!" Sirius grinned. Lily smiled bravely, laughing softly. At least she would be with Sirius. She walked over to the table, where Sirius pulled out a chair for her. Lily's smile broadened when Remus was also placed in Gryffindor. All three of them laughed when Lucius Malfoy was sorted into Slytherin. James also quickly became a Gryffindor.  
  
"Sweet! Perfect opportunity to make hell for all of the teachers! The three musketeers and their lovely lady." Sirius celebrated. Lily laughed. Remus and James grinned.  
  
"Remus, did you hear that? He's flirting with you again. He called you a lovely lady." James teased. Lily laughed harder. Remus glared at his friend.  
  
"James, my friend, you really have misinterpreted Sirius this time. He was, of course, referring to himself." Remus countered. Sirius laughed and bowed.  
  
"Yeah, James. Don't you know a lady when you see one?" Sirius joked. James grinned. Lily smiled at the shy boy who had the misfortune of sitting across from Sirius.  
  
"Hi, I'm Lily Evans. Ignore these boys. They're, well, they're immature." Lily smiled warmly at him. He smiled back.  
  
"Peter Pettigrew. It's nice to meet you, Lily." Peter offered. Lily smiled.  
  
"And these scoundrels are Remus Lupin, James Potter, and Sirius Black." Lily introduced the three boys, who stopped joking around long enough to wave at Peter. Peter smiled shyly.  
  
"I really don't know how I was put into Gryffindor. I'm not brave in the least." Peter confided. He liked Lily immediately. She had one of those personalities that made everyone open up to her right away. Lily laughed.  
  
"From what I've seen, you're quite brave. After all, you did sit across from Sirius. That alone should be worth a medal of honor." Lily told him, making Sirius scowl. Lily ruffled Sirius's hair affectionately.  
  
"Not to mention talking to Lily. After all, she does have James, Remus, and I protecting her." Sirius warned him. Peter took the hint, and studied his food intently.  
  
"Peter, ignore them. Remus is the only one I've even known for more than 24 hours. Sirius is just being a jerk." Lily said softly. Sirius pouted.  
  
"I'm not being a jerk. I'm just curious as to his intentions with you, my dear Lily. One can never be too careful in this day and age." Sirius nodded importantly. Lily laughed. "What are your intentions, Peter?" Sirius directed his question. Peter smiled faintly.  
  
"Friendship, if that's allowed." Peter smiled, a mixture of shyness, terror, and warmth making an odd, but strangely pleasant, combination. Sirius seemed to debate it for a moment, but Remus answered for him.  
  
"Of course it is. I'll speak for Sirius, because it tends to take him a while to think things through." Remus ducked a swinging fist from Sirius. All five of them laughed, and dug into their food. 


	6. Roommates

A/N: Thank all of my amazingly boring teachers for this! They gave me lots of time to write. They all decided to lecture on the same day, which means writing time! At least I looked like I was taking notes. Tell ya the truth; I don't even know what they were talking about in the least. Oh well! I got to write a few chapters, so it's all good, right? Ang  
  
  
  
Lily sighed and leaned back. She was sitting on a couch in the Gryffindor Common Room after the feast. It had been a long day for her. Peter Pettigrew was sitting next to her. Remus was sitting on the floor at her feet. James and Sirius were also sitting on the ground. Well, sprawled might be a better word. Lily laughed softly at the guys. Sirius had thrown himself on the ground, not caring how he landed.  
  
A couple of pretty first years were looking over at the group. Lily assumed that they were staring at the four boys. This would be nothing new. She knew that Remus was cute, and so were James and Sirius. Peter, she couldn't speak for. Something about him just didn't work for her. She couldn't explain it to anyone, for she didn't know herself why she didn't quite like him. Lily sighed when the two girls stood up and walked over.  
  
"Hi. I'm Amy Horsley. This is Michelle Tymrak. You're Lily Evans, right?" Amy smiled warmly. Lily was surprised at first, but smiled back. Maybe she was wrong about the girls. It certainly wouldn't be the first time that she had misjudged someone.  
  
"Hi, yeah. Are you both first years too?" Lily asked. Remus stopped his conversation, well, rather debate, with Sirius and James about Quidditch to listen. Amy nodded.  
  
"Actually, we're your roommates. We thought we might come over and say hi. See if you wanted to join some girls, as opposed to being stuck with guys discussing Quidditch." Michelle was not a Quidditch fan. Lily laughed.  
  
"I'd love it." Lily smiled. She started to stand when Remus elbowed her shin, hard. "Oww! Fine. This is Remus Lupin, James Potter, and Sirius Black. Oh, and this is Peter Pettigrew. Happy, Remus?" She demanded. Remus grinned and stood.  
  
"Hi. Yes Lily, thank you." Remus ruffled her hair affectionately.  
  
"But I must warn you not to trust a single word that Remus says. He's known for being a charmer. He once told me that he'd try and say anything to get a pretty girl to talk to him. Just a warning." Lily continued innocently. Michelle and Amy laughed. James grinned. Remus was looking at Lily in shock.  
  
"She knows you too well, Remus." Sirius commented.  
  
"Oh, and Sirius is worse than Remus. In a way. See, Remus will try to charm a girl, but Sirius can actually pull it off." Lily informed the girls. "And then there's James. He's the sweetheart of the group. Peter's too shy to really talk to anyone, so I don't know him very well." Lily finished.  
  
"Jamsie, I think she likes you. You're the only one she came close to complementing. Oww! Lils!" Remus rubbed his ribs, where he had just gotten elbowed by Lily. "Ok, ok! She doesn't like you! My mistake. Just give it a few years." Remus grinned. Sirius laughed.  
  
"We'll let you four return to your discussion. Come on, Lily." Michelle smiled sweetly as she and Amy led Lily up to their room. Lily looked around appreciatively. "Not bad, is it?" Lily laughed.  
  
"That's an understatement. Oh I'm going to get so lost here." Lily confided her fears to the girls. Michelle and Amy both seemed easier to talk to than even Remus. Michelle laughed.  
  
"We all will. Man, those four boys seem like they'll be troublemakers." Amy laughed as she flopped down onto her bed. Lily grinned.  
  
"Knowing Remus as well as I do, and having heard the stories he's told me about him, James, and Sirius, we can look forward to an interesting 7 years." All three girls giggled.  
  
"Lily, do you mind if I ask you a question that might seem kind of rude? Well, actually two rude questions." Michelle asked timidly. She grew bolder when Lily shook her head. "First, how long have you known Remus, and are you more than friends? And second, you're a muggle-born, aren't you?"  
  
"Yes, I am a muggle-born. As for Remus, I've known him all of my life. Nope, just friends. So he's free. As far as I know, he has no interest in any girls at the moment, so have fun. I'll even help if you'd like." Lily volunteered. She was eager to see Remus happy.  
  
"So which one do you like, Lily?" Amy asked, curious. Lily blushed.  
  
"Well, James is kind of cute." She confessed. Amy and Michelle grinned.  
  
"Perfect. I'll take Remus, Amy can have Sirius, and you get James." Michelle planned. All three girls giggled again. A comfortable silence soon fell over the room. Meanwhile, back in the common room, the guys were doing some planning of their own.  
  
"Well Jamsie, we've got seven glorious years ahead of us. Now, do we make hell for the teachers, or do we become good little boys?" Sirius asked lazily. James smirked.  
  
"Sirius, what are you thinking? How can you even ask such a question?" James scolded. "Of course we make hell. What else would we do? It'd get too boring if we were good students. Besides, we have to live up to our reputations." Sirius, Remus, and James all grinned. None of them seemed to remember that Peter was still there.  
  
"What kind of things will you do?" Peter asked shyly. Sirius started at the voice. He grinned evilly.  
  
"Oh, just some minor pranks. You know, blow up toilets, sneak out of school, raid the kitchens, that kind of stuff. Oh! And dungbombs." Sirius grinned at this last part. Peter looked slightly horrified.  
  
"Are you out of your minds?! Think of all of the detentions you'll get!" Peter told them frantically.  
  
"My dear boy, that's only if we get caught." Sirius reminded him. Peter shook his head incredulously. Then he grinned with an idea.  
  
"Can I join you guys? It sounds like a ton of fun." Peter pleaded. James and Remus smirked.  
  
"Another recruit. Cool." Remus announced.  
  
"The four, umm, the four Marauders!" Sirius told them. The other three guys thought it over for a moment.  
  
"Marauders? I like the sound of that." James said thoughtfully.  
  
"And I elect James Potter as our leader." Remus voted. James smiled sheepishly as they all agreed.  
  
"Here's a toast to the James Potter and the Marauders!" Sirius raised an imaginary glass. The other three followed suit. 


	7. Heartbreaker

A/N: I decided to be nice and not leave the cliffhanger there for long. So here's the next chapter. Actually, I lied. It wasn't me who decided to post again. It was my boring little teachers who all decided to lecture on the same day. So I had no choice but to squeeze this chapter out of my muses, unless I wanted to be bored all day. So thank them, not me. Ang  
  
  
  
The weeks flew by, and Lily seemed perfectly at home with her new friends. She and Remus had grown even closer over the time. It didn't seem like they had to talk when they were together. Just being together was enough for both of them. Days were spent hard at work in their classes, and evenings were spent sitting around in the Common Room, listening to the Marauders latest exploits. Michelle and Amy joined them daily now.  
  
"But then Professor Binns caught us, so now we have a detention tomorrow night." Sirius finished, sulking. "Any of the female professors, and we would have been let off the hook. But no. It had to be Professor Binns."  
  
"I can't believe that you four have a detention 2 days before Christmas!" Lily exclaimed. Michelle laughed.  
  
"Lils, they always have detention." Amy reminded Lily. "Except when, as they say, a female professor catches them, and Sirius manages to sweet talk and charm his way out of things." Sirius grinned, proud of this fact. "That's not a good thing, Sirius!" Amy scolded him.  
  
"But Amy, darling, remember last month? I do hope that you remember when, umm, what was it again? Oh yes. You were caught by Miss Valenca." Sirius smirked. Miss Valenca was the groundskeeper, and as mean as could be. But she was easy to charm. "And what, pray tell, did I do for you?"  
  
"Only because you were sneaking out to get food and..." Amy retorted.  
  
"I still managed to save you! And sheesh, I nearly offered myself up to save you." Sirius shuddered, remembering how Miss Valenca had flirted with him. Amy giggled, clearly remembering the same thing.  
  
"I never thought that I would see you look so amazingly uncomfortable, Sirius." She teased. Lily sulked.  
  
"I can't believe I missed that!" She complained. Remus nodded his agreement.  
  
"One of the Marauders, cornered by Miss Valenca, and forced to resort to charming her." Remus mused, chuckling.  
  
"For the last time, I would have gotten away without having to even see Miss Valenca, if I hadn't decided to be nice and save a fellow Gryffindor!" Sirius retorted hotly. Amy grinned, but tempered it quickly.  
  
"And I can never thank you enough for that, Sirius. Please tell me what I can do to make it up to you in the slightest." She purred, demurely. Sirius blushed bright red, causing the group to explode with laughter. James shook his head. It was always the same between those two.  
  
"Amy, have you forgotten already? Sirius can flirt, and charm, any girl he wants, but he can't handle it when the girls turn it back on him. The only one who actually gets away with it is Lily." Michelle reminded her friend. Lily and Remus laughed.  
  
"Lily can get away with anything. We all know that." Remus yawned. They'd had a long day. The potions teacher, Professor Campbell, had given them an exam that morning. They were all tired from it. Lily blushed slightly. "Mark my words; Lily's going to be a heartbreaker by the middle of our 6th year."  
  
"No I won't, Remus." Lily replied, modestly.  
  
"Yeah you will, Lils. Hopefully not mine though." James teased. Lily laughed softly. He still had no idea that she liked him.  
  
"No kidding, Lils. If you're going to break hearts, spare the Marauders." Sirius pleaded. Peter and Remus nodded their agreement. Amy and Michelle grinned. They were used to this sort of thing, and loved seeing Lily so popular. From what they had heard, Petunia was a nightmare to live with.  
  
"Well, I'd have to hurt at least 3 of you, if you all fall for me. I can't date all of you at once, now can I?" Lily responded reasonably. The Marauders thought about that for a minute.  
  
"Good point, Lilybean." Remus commented. "Not like you, though." He ducked the pillow that was thrown at him, and laughed when Lily dived towards him. He moved out of the way, and Lily fell onto James. James and Lily both blushed slightly, and James helped her up. Remus, Sirius, Michelle, Amy, and Peter were laughing hysterically.  
  
"James'll be the first victim. Just wait and see." Peter predicted, grinning. They all laughed and went to bed.  
  
The Marauders served their detention the next night, and before anyone realized it, it was Christmas morning. Amy and Michelle had gone home for the break, as had Peter. It was just Remus, Sirius, James, and Lily left for Gryffindor.  
  
Lily sprinted down the stairs into the common room. The guys were already there. She laughed a bit breathlessly, and joined them on the floor in front of the fire. There were presents surrounding the boys, and they all handed Lily her share. There were presents from each of the guys, one from Michelle, one from Amy, and a bunch from her parents. At the bottom of the pile was a short note from Petunia.  
  
  
  
Dear Lily. Merry Christmas. I'm glad you're not home for it. See you at summer break, unfortunately. Petunia. P.S. Mom and Dad made me write a note.  
  
  
  
Lily laughed, and handed the note to Remus when she had read it. He laughed and they passed the note around.  
  
"Charming sister, Lily." James commented. Sirius grinned. He just had to comment.  
  
"Yeah, and just think James, she could be your sister in law. OWWW!" Sirius howled when both Lily and James hit him. Remus doubled over with laughter. 


	8. Fun With Snow

A/N: Boring lecture day # 2! Aren't I lucky?! Ang  
  
  
  
Lily gasped when a silver chain fell out of the card from Remus. Remus grinned. On the chain was a silver heart shaped locket, containing two pictures. One was of just Remus and Lily, but the other was of Lily, James, Sirius, and Remus. Lily threw her arms around Remus in a hug.  
  
"Thank you so much! Oh it's so beautiful! Help me put it on, please." She pleaded. Remus smiled and obliged her.  
  
"I saw that locket a while back, and I couldn't help but think that you needed something nice to wear." Remus informed her. Lily stepped back a step, allowing everyone to see the locket. It was the perfect length on her, and made her look even more gorgeous.  
  
"Very nice, Lils. Dude, Remus, where did you learn to buy jewelry for girls?" Sirius teased. Remus laughed. "Well go on, Lils, open the rest of your presents." He urged.  
  
Lily hugged Remus once again, and opened the present from Sirius next. It was a box of all sorts of candies, but first and foremost, were sugar quills. Lily laughed, and hugged Sirius. Sugar quills were her favorite.  
  
"Now the one from Jamesie. Come on, Lils, you take too long." Sirius whined. Lily grinned, and opened the present from James. She was stunned to see what it contained. She had mentioned a certain author once, saying that she was Lily's favorite, but that she didn't own any of the books. Inside the box, was one of each of the books.  
  
"Omigosh, thank you so much James! I can't believe that you remembered me saying about this author. And a muggle author, at that. Impressive." Lily gushed. She hugged James. James laughed.  
  
"Actually, you can thank my parents in part for this. I wrote them, begging for them to get the books. But yeah, unlike these two, I occasionally listen to what you say." James teased. Lily started laughing again.  
  
"Remmybear never listens." Lily scolded. Remus grinned sheepishly.  
  
"I've known you long enough to figure out what you're talking about without listening, Lilybean." Remus defended himself. Lily was about to respond, when she suddenly remembered something.  
  
"Oh! Hang on just a second!" Lily called over her shoulder as she ran back up the stairs to her dorm. She grabbed the three identical boxes, and came back, handing one box to each guy. They all grinned, and opened the boxes.  
  
Lily had spent her free time making handsome journals for each of the guys, each reflecting their personalities. All three guys were impressed with them.  
  
"I really couldn't think of anything else, and I . . ." Lily was cut off by James, Sirius, and Remus, all talking at once.  
  
"Lily Evans! What exactly are you thinking? These are awesome! Thank you so much!" Remus swung Lily around, who giggled.  
  
"This is cool! I've been trying to figure out how to track all of our pranks, and this is perfect! Thanks Lils!" Sirius grinned.  
  
"Lily, this is great! Did you really make these? Wow, are these cool!" James told her. All of the guys were perfectly sincere, making Lily glow with happiness.  
  
"I'm glad you like them. I was a bit worried, I must confess. I had no idea whatsoever about what you three might like. You're all impossible, you know that?" Lily teased. The three Marauders grinned.  
  
"That's our job, Lily." Remus told her. "Now c'mon and play some Quidditch with us!" They all grabbed their brooms, and ran outside, ready to play. It ended up being Lily and James vs. Remus and Sirius. They didn't play with Keepers, or Beaters. It was just 2 Chasers on 2 Chasers.  
  
An hour later, they were all breathless and laughing. James and Lily had beaten Remus and Sirius quite badly. James swung Lily around, laughing. Lily giggled. Sirius grinned mischievously, and scooped up a handful of snow. He lobbed it at James, hitting him in the back. James dove for some snow, throwing it back. Next thing that anyone knew, there was a massive snowball fight going on between the four of them.  
  
Lily soon collapsed backwards into the snow. She lay there breathless for a moment. She smiled nostalgically, and started to make a snow angel. She laughed when she saw that James and Sirius were looking at her like she was crazy.  
  
"What, haven't you ever made snow angels?" She taunted. They shook their heads. Remus grinned and flopped down next to Lily, making a snow angel of his own.  
  
"You're both nuts." Sirius diagnosed. James grinned.  
  
"Remember who you're talking to, Sirius." He teased. Sirius laughed. Remus and Lily were known for being a bit crazy.  
  
"Oh come on Siridarling. Just try it once, for me?" Lily asked sweetly. Sirius hesitated, debating. After a sidelong glance at James, he lay down for a snow angel. James threw his head back in laughter.  
  
"Sirius, man, that's pathetic. You'll do anything that a pretty girl asks you to." James laughed. Remus and Lily laughed, and suddenly Lily realized that James had just called her pretty. She smiled to herself. Sirius scowled.  
  
"Like you wouldn't, Jamesie." Sirius retorted hotly. He was blushing badly.  
  
  
  
"Careful, Sirius, your hot blush is going to melt the snow." Remus taunted. Lily and James laughed again. Sirius glared at Remus. He was about to comment when the bell rang, calling them in for dinner. 


	9. Tutoring

A/N: Sorry it's been a few days on updating. Ang  
  
Lily threw her quill down in frustration. She had been working on her Transfiguration homework for the past two hours, and she wasn't getting anywhere on it. She just couldn't seem to understand what old Professor Kaladi was asking of them. James glanced up from his chair where he was studying Charms. Remus, Sirius, Peter, Amy, and Michelle were playing Exploding Snap in another corner of the Common Room.  
  
"What's wrong, Lily?" James asked, a hint of concern in his voice. Lily smiled faintly.  
  
"Transfiguration, as always. I just don't get it." Lily sighed. James hesitated, and suddenly looked at her hopefully.  
  
"Hey Lily, you understand Charms, right?" James inquired cautiously. Lily nodded, not quite understanding why James had changed the subject.  
  
"It's my best subject. You know that, James. But why?" Lily's curiosity took over most of her mind, almost driving out the thought of the horrible Transfiguration assignment in front of her. His response drove the last shred of Transfiguration out.  
  
"Because I'm horrible at it, yet somewhat decent at Transfiguration. I'd be willing to help you on Transfiguration if you'll help me with Charms." James volunteered, a slow smile crossing his features. Lily paused, and grinned.  
  
"You've got a deal." Lily responded. Remus grinned to himself as he watched James move over to Lily's table, and the two of them bent their heads over the books to work.  
  
This arrangement continued all year long. It was so common a sight to see James and Lily working on homework together, that one warm evening in May, everyone was in shock to see them on separate sides of the Common Room. Remus glanced warily at Sirius.  
  
"I'm not sure that I want to know what happened, Remus." Sirius told him. Remus nodded.  
  
"Me neither, but Lily's my best friend. And James is yours." Remus reminded Sirius, who grimaced.  
  
"Ok, fine. You talk to Lils, I'll talk to James." Sirius conceded. They both gulped as Sirius went to James, and Remus sat down next to Lily.  
  
"Lilybean. . .?" Remus asked her, extremely scared of her response. He knew Lily's temper well enough to know that if she was mad, she may take it out on him. To his surprise, Lily lifted her eyes, and Remus saw a tear rolling down her cheek. His protective side kicked in instantly.  
  
"Lily! What happened?!" He demanded, ready to strangle anyone who had hurt Lily. She shook her head.  
  
"He has a girlfriend, Remus." Lily told him miserably. Remus understood instantly. He had known for a while that Lily liked James, and how much it must be hurting her that he was with another girl. Remus hugged her tightly.  
  
"Lily, I don't know what to say. . ." Remus's voice was soft and loving. Lily curled up against Remus. Across the room, James muttered a sound of disgust.  
  
"Look at that, Sirius. Lily and Remus. And they claim they're just friends. Yeah right." James scowled. Truth be told, he was incredibly jealous of Remus's and Lily's friendship. Sirius knew that he was walking on eggshells in this conversation with James.  
  
"James, Lily's a great girl. She and Remus have been close all their lives. You know, kind of like you and me. Now please trust me here. I'm your best friend. Don't ruin this friendship with Lily. You're very likely to lose Remus too, if you do. And I'm not taking sides, James." Sirius warned gently. James scowled again.  
  
"Are you trying to say that this is my fault?!" James demanded. Sirius slammed his head down on the desk in frustration.  
  
"James Potter! That's not what I said at all! Of course, we wouldn't be in this damn situation if you hadn't asked the trashiest girl in the entire school out." Sirius's patience, what little he had, was long gone. James glared at Sirius.  
  
"Ashley is not trashy! She's. . ." James knew full well that there was no way to defend his girlfriend. But he had to try. "Get out of here, Sirius. I can't believe you're siding with Lily. Of course, I shouldn't be surprised. You've been after her all year."  
  
Sirius looked at James in shock. Never in all of the years that they had been friends, had they said anything like this to each other. Sirius glared once more at James, and stormed up to his dormitory. Peter was already up there.  
  
"What happened to you?" Peter squeaked nervously. Sirius muttered something under his breath, and turned to Peter.  
  
"James happened. He asked Ashley Morse out today. So he and Lils are fighting, and guess who got to calm Lily down? Remus, the lucky little. . . Anyways, I was stuck trying to talk to James. Bad idea." Sirius threw himself onto his bed. It was going to be a long month before school ended.  
  
Contrary to popular belief, the school year actually ended quite quickly. The next thing that any of them knew, they were boarding the Hogwarts Express for home. The Marauders shared a cabin, and Lily, Michelle, and Amy sat in their own. James and Lily hadn't spoken since the fight, even though he had ended things with Ashley the next day. Both of them were far too stubborn about their beliefs.  
  
The fight between Sirius and James, however, had ended almost immediately, much to the relief of Peter and Remus. They were all pleased with their marks, but some more than others. James hadn't found another Charms tutor, so his Charms marks were fairly low. Lily, however, had the highest marks of their year in all of her classes, including Transfiguration. The last part was due to Remus volunteering his help.  
  
The Hogwarts Express pulled into London far too quickly for any of the group. They grouped together to say their goodbyes. Remus and Lily departed towards where their parents and Petunia were all standing. Sirius and James were picked up by James's dad. Peter, Michelle, and Amy all went home with their respective parents. 


	10. Reunion

Lily Evans smirked. Today was her day of revenge. She and Remus Lupin had been playing pranks on each other all summer long, and today she would end it. Today she would win for good.  
  
"Remus Lupin!!!" She shrieked, shaking the water off of her. Remus grinned, the second water balloon aimed right towards her. Lily tackled him, and they both tumbled into the lake. Remus came up sputtering and laughing. Lily glared daggers at him.  
  
"I really hate you sometimes, Remus." She told him icily. Remus grinned, and put his arm around her protectively.  
  
"Hey now, Lils, just because I ruined your makeup on the day that James and Sirius and Peter are coming is no reason to get all huffy with me. You look fine." He soothed. Lily giggled suddenly.  
  
"You don't. By the way, Amy and Michelle are here." She grinned up at her friends who had just arrived. Michelle smirked, and pulled a piece of seaweed out of Remus's hair.  
  
"Michelle, leave it. It suits him." Amy teased. Remus groaned and lay back on the ground. He hadn't known that Amy and Michelle were coming. The seven friends were all leaving for Hogwarts the next day, so they had decided to get together one last time before they left for school. Lily grinned.  
  
"Paybacks are hell, Remmybear." She ruffled his hair. Remus smirked.  
  
"I'll have to remember that." He commented. She laughed. Amy and Michelle exchanged an amused glance.  
  
"We've missed this." Amy giggled. Michelle nodded her agreement.  
  
"The summer has been extremely boring without you two arguing and playing pranks on each other." Michelle complained. Remus and Lily laughed.  
  
"We've done this every summer for as long as I can remember." Remus hugged Lily. "And we never mean what we say, right Lils?" Lily raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Speak for yourself, hon. I mean what I say." She told him coldly. Remus winced playfully, and grinned.  
  
"Right. Whatever you say, Lils." He said lazily, stretching out on the lawn. The sun was hot overhead, and the heat did much to dry off Remus and Lily. Lily smiled affectionately at him. Remus grinned again. Michelle rolled her eyes.  
  
"Once you two stop flirting, tell us about your summer." She demanded. Lily glared at her.  
  
"We weren't flirting!" She retorted hotly. Amy grinned.  
  
"You called him hon, he used your nickname. Therefore, you were flirting." Amy clarified. Lily blushed, and ignored it. Remus merely laughed.  
  
"Lils and I spent the summer joking around and having fun. We stayed away from her evil sister as much as possible, and managed it quite successfully." Remus yawned. Lily laughed.  
  
"Yeah, that's about it. You two?" She asked. Michelle shrugged.  
  
"I spent the summer with my Grandmother. She taught me how to crochet. I'm very thankful to get away from there." Michelle sat on the ground and leaned back. Amy flopped down next to Lily.  
  
"As for me, I spent the time with my older brother. We had a blast. He taught me how to play Quidditch." Amy grinned. She knew that Lily and Michelle would have killed for a day of that. Their jaws dropped.  
  
"Chris taught you how to play Quidditch?!" Remus demanded, jealous. Chris Horsley was a 5th year Gryffindor, and the Captain and a Chaser on the house team. Amy nodded.  
  
"He says I'd be a good Chaser. I guess it runs in the family." She said. Lily and Michelle had more important things on their mind. Chris was not only a star player, but he was extremely hot. He was 5'9" and strong. His dark hair failed to take attention away from his piercing gray eyes. All in all, he was by far the most wanted guy at Hogwarts. The two girls had spent many hours drooling over him the year before. Amy, instead of being annoyed by her friends' obsession with her brother, was highly amused by it.  
  
"What I wouldn't give to spend an hour with him." Michelle sighed. Amy smirked.  
  
"An hour, say, at a family dinner?" She asked. Michelle nodded. "What would you say if I told you that you, Lily, and the Marauders have all been invited to my house for Christmas Break this year?" Michelle and Lily looked at her in shock.  
  
"Omigosh, are you serious!?" Michelle shrieked. Sirius and James looked at her like she was crazy.  
  
"No, man, I am! Why does everyone confuse that?!" Sirius joked. Lily grinned up at him.  
  
"Weak weak joke, Sirius." She accused. Remus smirked.  
  
"How many times have you tried that one, Sirius?" He asked. Sirius grinned.  
  
"Many times. It's never worked though." Sirius admitted.  
  
"Hey ya'll." James said softly. He was watching Lily, amazed at how much she'd changed over the summer. Lily hesitated, and smiled.  
  
"Hey James. How was your summer?" She asked sweetly, all of her anger from the previous year gone. James smiled back.  
  
"Interesting. My parents decided that I had to take a cooking class after I gave them food poisoning on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches." He told her. Lily laughed.  
  
"Remind me to never eat any food that you make." She teased. James grinned.  
  
"I've gotten better. Now I can even make turkey sandwiches without killing anyone." He joked. Remus and Sirius groaned. Peter was standing in the background.  
  
"Hey Peter!" Lily called. "Come sit down, make yourself comfortable. Don't let these two idiots scare you." She teased, meaning James and Sirius, who both grinned. Peter shyly took a seat on the other side of Lily. Sirius sprawled out on the ground, and James sat down across from Lily. 


	11. Hostess

A/N: My apologies for how stinking long it's taken me to write this chapter. I was in a perfectionist mood, and wanted it to be absolutely perfect in every way. Bad mood for me to be in. That means it takes forever to write one paragraph. Oh, and throw in there my classes, midterms, and entire family being home. Needless to say, the next chapter hopefully won't be so long in coming. I hope you enjoy anyways! Ang  
  
  
  
  
  
Lily balanced the tray of drinks and the tray of food, trying to open the door. Remus glanced up lazily and groaned loudly. He was on his feet in a second, and got the door. Remus gave her an amused look, and Lily grinned.  
  
"Mom was yelling at me to be a good hostess, and that door's hard to open. I'm too lazy to make two trips." Lily explained, smiling. James smirked.  
  
"And a proper hostess never asks for help, huh?" He asked. Lily blushed, but laughed.  
  
"Well, you'd know more about that than I would, James. I'm sure you play hostess to lots of people." Lily tossed at him. Sirius smirked, and suddenly grimaced.  
  
"Not so sure I'd like to see him in that French maid outfit I was picturing you in, Lils..." Sirius said, eliciting laughter from the group. Peter and Remus shuddered. James looked at Sirius in shock.  
  
"Hey, I'd look damn good, and you know it, Sirius. You're just jealous that you couldn't look as good." James retorted. Sirius grinned.  
  
"My legs are too fat. And don't even get me started on my butt!" Sirius complained. Amy giggled.  
  
"And you'd have to wax, Sirius. The hair look is out." Peter cut in. All of them laughed, and settled down with their food and lemonade. Meanwhile, Petunia Evans was inside, scowling at the friends.  
  
"Honestly, Mother, how can you allow them to be here?" Petunia demanded. Camille sighed.  
  
"Petunia, they're Lily's friends. They have as much right to be here as your friends do, dear." Camille told her eldest daughter softly. Petunia huffed in annoyance.  
  
"Well, they better not be hanging around the house when Vernon comes." Petunia scowled. Camille set the plate that she was drying down.  
  
"Petunia, dear, I know that Vernon Dursley is very important to you. Lily knows that too. She's already said that they are all going out to dinner at Wok Palace tonight. So it will be just you, Vernon, Dad, and I for dinner." Camille soothed. Petunia hesitated.  
  
"And they won't be here at all?" Petunia asked. Camille shook her head.  
  
"No, sweetheart. They're going into town in a little bit, and won't be home until late." Camille sighed again. Petunia smiled.  
  
"Good." She said. Camille didn't bother to comment, and only went back to her dishes. Petunia ran upstairs to get ready for her date.  
  
"Ooh, I forgot to warn everyone. Petunia's boyfriend is coming over tonight, so we can't be around." Lily told her friends. "So we're going out for dinner. Hope ya'll like Chinese..." Lily trailed off nervously. Remus grinned.  
  
"Even if you don't, Wok Palace rocks. Coolest place ever." Remus stretched out a bit more. "Hey Lils, honestly, how can she date that Muggle idiot?" Lily shrugged.  
  
"No idea. I mean, it'd be like some girl actually dating you," Lily said nonchalantly. Remus looked at her in shock. He tackled her, and they both rolled into the pond, laughing.  
  
"Cold blow, Lils." James grinned. Lily flashed him a smile.  
  
"Great, wasn't it?" She laughed. Amy rolled her eyes.  
  
"Lils, just one question for ya. Can you and Remus get any more obvious about your flirting?!" Amy demanded. Lily blushed hotly and picked up the tray to take it inside.  
  
"I, uh, don't know what you're talking about, Amy." Lily walked quickly inside. She missed seeing Remus blushing as badly as she was. James and Sirius, however, did not miss it.  
  
"Seems you've picked up a crush, Remus." James smirked at Sirius, who grinned.  
  
"They always say, girl next door..." Sirius added. Peter smiled thoughtfully.  
  
"She is awfully pretty, Remus." Peter cut in. Remus was glaring daggers at the guys. Amy and Michelle were laughing.  
  
"Just shut up, ok? Lily and I are friends..." Remus muttered.  
  
"We know. But what kind of friends?" Sirius taunted.  
  
"Friendships can always develop into something more, you know." James ducked as Remus swung at him.  
  
"Would it make you feel any better if we told you Lily likes you?" Amy soothed. Remus looked up suddenly.  
  
"She does?! I mean, umm..." Remus realized his mistake too late.  
  
"So you do like her!" Sirius grinned triumphantly. James smirked. Lily walked outside right then and the group decided to drop the subject. Lily had regained her composure.  
  
"Ok, I'm starving, and Petunia's starting to get bitchy, so let's go." Lily smiled sweetly. Remus's heart jumped into his throat. He forced himself to stay calm.  
  
"Wait, wait, wait... Think about what you just said, Lily. She's starting to get bitchy?! She is naturally!" Remus scolded. Lily laughed honestly.  
  
"Hey, I have to sound like the sweet, innocent, perfect baby sister. I have to keep up my image here, Remmybear." Lily teased. Everyone, including Remus, started laughing.  
  
"Yeah right. You, innocent?" Sirius grinned. Remus stepped casually in front of Lily.  
  
"She's innocent all right. And don't even think about turning her otherwise. I kind of like having her this way. More fun to tease her." Remus's voice was light, but Sirius got the hint. He unconsciously took a step backwards. Amy had to grab his arm to keep him from falling backwards into the lake.  
  
"Smooth, Sirius. Remmy, I doubt you have much to worry about. This boy'd trip over his own feet while standing still. I'd love to see him tongue tied, trying to recite poetry though." Amy released her hold on Sirius, who blushed faintly.  
  
"I think that of all of the guys here, I'd be the worst at poetry recitation." Peter admitted, blushing. Amy, Lily, and Michelle looked at each other, an idea forming in their minds.  
  
"We'll have to see about that. A contest, shall we say?" Lily mused. The guys looked at each other nervously.  
  
"Err, Lils, what kind of contest...?" Sirius asked, his voice trembling. Lily smiled innocently.  
  
"Poetry contest, Siridarling. You boys each write or find a poem. You'll recite it. Not read it, mind. Recite it. That means memorization. Michelle, Amy, and I will judge how you do. What should the prize be, Amy and Michelle?" Lily's voice was dripping with sweetness. Michelle smirked.  
  
"Why, we'll give them what they've always wanted, of course." Michelle imitated Lily's tone.  
  
"You'll have to get a bit more specific than that, Michelle." James's voice sounded hollow. He was extremely anxious to know what the prize was, but he refused to sacrifice his Potter pride and let them know that.  
  
"A date. With any or all of us girls. 1 of you will win the contest, and take any or all of us any where of your choice, for one evening. Maybe even a full day, depending on how well you do with the recitation." Lily tossed this over her shoulder as she went inside to get her purse.  
  
The boys looked at each other, excited. This was better than they'd ever hoped for! A chance to go out with all three of them at one time was a definite fantasy that all four boys had harbored for the past year.  
  
For their part, the girls were also excited. They hadn't mentioned to the Marauders that there would be a nice large audience for their poems. In fact, the whole school would be invited. But the guys didn't need to know that quite yet. 


	12. The Arcade

A/N: It's been a while. I know. Sorry! I hope this was worth the wait though. I have a lot of plans for this story, and hopefully I'll be able to put them into action soon. As for this chapter, I decided that Vernon and Petunia needed… Well, read on. Oh, and please review. I love getting reviews. Honestly, the reviews encourage me to keep writing. Please? Thanks! Angie

Remus, James, Lily, Sirius, Peter, Amy, and Michelle were all in the arcade, laughing. They had gone to dinner at Wok Palace, and then decided to waste some time, and money, at the video arcade. Sirius, James, and Peter had never been introduced to video games before, so they had a blast. Lily spent most of her time watching James and Sirius compete in a car racing game, and laughing at the indignation evident in both faces when the computer won. 

"That's not fair! How can this thing win? We were great! I mean, look at James' car. That thing can barely drive." Sirius glared at the game. Lily giggled.

"Hon, the object of that game was NOT to wreck each other's cars. It was to win the race." Lily tried to explain. Sirius shook his head.

"Then it's not worth my time." Sirius crossed his arms. Lily laughed again. 

"Hey Sirius, come check this out!" Peter was on a motorcycle racing game. Sirius' eyes lit up.

"What's that? That thing looks cool!" Sirius ran over to Peter, and looked at the motorcycle in awe. 

"Give it a try. This thing's awesome." Peter relinquished the bike, which was taken over by Sirius immediately. Lily smiled. 

"What is it, Lily?" Sirius gave her a curious look, while inserting quarters into the machine.

"A motorcycle, Sirius." Lily shook her head, smiling softly. She just knew that Sirius was obsessed for life already. 

"This thing rocks!" Remus stood next to Lily, laughing. He too saw that Sirius was in love. 

"Crandiate Arcade is closing in 5 minutes." The voice over the loud speaker announced. Sirius groaned. He wasn't ready to leave.

"Come on guys, let's get home. My mum made dessert." Lily had a feeling that those 4 simple words would have an amazing effect on the guys. She was right. Michelle and Amy followed too. Remus hesitated.

"Remmy, please come?" Lily pleaded. 

"Lily, I…" Remus started to argue.

"We'll stop by your house and tell your parents you're spending the night at my place. Everyone else is." Lily wasn't in the mood to listen to his excuses. Remus rolled his eyes.

"Oh that'll go over well, Lils." Remus's voice was dripping with sarcasm. Lily smirked.

"It's not like you don't stay over more often than you're at home, Remmy." Lily pointed out. Remus laughed.

"Yeah, good point. Your mum thinks I'm her son, doesn't she?" Lily giggled, and hugged him.

"My big brother who protects me from scary guys." She directed this comment at Sirius, who laughed.

"I'm not scary, am I?" Sirius threw up his hands in feigned innocence. Lily stayed silent. "Well, not too scary." 

"Keep telling yourself that, Sirius." Lily grinned as Sirius laughed. 

"Come on, I'm hungry." Remus walked out the door, and miraculously, everyone followed. The 6 teenagers walked quickly to Remus's home. He opened the door and called to his parents.

"Mum, Dad! I'm going to Lily's house for the night!" Sky Lupin appeared at the foot of the stairs. 

"Hello, Lily dear." Sky started. Remus made a sound of impatience.

"Sure, say hi to her first." Remus sulked. Sky ruffled his hair affectionately. 

"I can't help it if I'm cooler than you are, Remus." Lily grinned. Sky laughed.

"Ok, so what's all this about?" Sky put her hands on her hips and looked at the group.

"See, Mrs. Evans made dessert, and James, Sirius, Peter, Michelle, and Amy are all spending the night there. I want to too. Please?" Sky shook her head, trying to understand the words through the rush of Remus's voice.

"Again. Slower." Sky pleaded. Remus started again, barely slower than the first time. Lily put her hand over her mouth.

"Mrs. Lupin, my Mum made dessert, and you know Remus with brownies. And everyone else is staying the night at my house tonight. Can Remus come too? Please?" Lily smiled sweetly, and Sky laughed.

"Remus, this is why I like Lily. She actually says things that can be understood." Sky couldn't resist the temptation. Remus scowled.

"Thanks. So can I go? Can I?" Lily giggled at her friend.

"Yeah, real mature, Remmy." Lily laughed. Remus glared at her. 

"I'm mature!" Remus defended himself hotly. 

"Sure you are." Lily retorted.

"Enough. You two have gone into this argument too many times. Yes, you can go, Remus." Sky said patiently. Remus grinned.

"Thanks Mum. Love you, bye." Remus started towards Lily's house. "Did you say brownies?" Lily laughed outright.

"Yes, I said brownies." Remus's eyes lit up. 

"Cool." The group continued down the street to Lily's house. They burst in the door, laughing about the day. Suddenly, Lily stopped in her tracks. Vernon Dursley was still there. 

"Uh-oh." Lily looked anxiously at her family, hoping that they wouldn't get mad. Camille took a deep breath. Petunia looked furious. Vernon merely looked curious. 

"Hi Lily." Vernon came as close to smiling at her as he ever did. Lily gulped.

"Umm, hi Vernon. How are you?" Lily motioned for her friends to keep quiet.

"Just fine, just fine. Who are these people?" Petunia looked like she was going to cry. The last thing she wanted was for her boyfriend to meet Lily's freak friends. 

"They're just some friends of hers, Vernon. Come on, I'll walk you to your car." Petunia seemed desperate. Vernon smiled, and followed Petunia out to his car. 

"Oops. Sorry..." Lily looked pleadingly at her parents, waiting for the storm to hit. 

"It's ok, darling. Come in everyone. I'm sure you must all be starving for dessert. Especially you, Remus. I made brownies." Camille knew, as most people did, that brownies were Remus's favorite food. Remus grinned.

"Lily told me." Camille laughed, and ushered the kids into the kitchen, where she served up brownie sundaes. 


	13. Breakfast

A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update this fic. Incredibly uncool, my apologies. But I'm back, and going through a writing frenzy. Florida just inspires me, apparently. Or perhaps it's just my roommate's threat to make me clean the apartment with her this weekend. Ehh, whatever. Unfortunately, the "thing" called HP book 5 has ruined 3 of my stories. However, I'm stubborn. I'm continuing anyways. Enjoy. Angie  
  
Early the next morning, Lily came down the stairs, tackling Remus where he lay sleeping. A grunt and a muttered curse can be heard from him, before he throws her off with a grin.  
  
"Morning, Tiger Lily!" He called, standing up as she heads into the kitchen. A moment later, he follows her in, hopping up onto the counter. Lily smiled, pulling her hair back into a quick pony tail before starting to make scrambled eggs and bacon for her friends. Talking happily with Remus, she didn't hear the door open behind her.  
  
The next thing she knew, Lily was grabbing the counter for support, a small stream of blood running down her chin from her cut lip. Petunia glared at her, fury in her eyes. Lily gasped, and Remus was on his feet, between the two sisters. Petunia raised her hand as if to hit him as well.  
  
"Get out of the way!" She hissed, trying to get at Lily. Remus stood his ground.  
  
"I will NOT let you hit her again!" Remus growled, one hand reaching back to help steady Lily. She wasn't badly hurt; it was more the shock factor that had gotten to her. Petunia glanced at the defiance in Remus' eyes, and opted to take a step backwards instead of advancing.  
  
"This little... freak, nearly cost me my boyfriend!" Petunia spat, furious. Lily set her hand gently on Remus' shoulder, silently asking him to let her do this. Remus growled again, before stepping to the side a bit.  
  
"Petunia, I'm sorry... I didn't think." Lily began, but Petunia cut her off.  
  
"You're right! You didn't think! Because you can't! You're a freak!" Petunia yelled, before running out the door, slamming it behind her. Silent tears streamed down Lily's face. Remus slammed his fist down on the counter in a rare show of anger, before looking back up at Lily. Seeing the tears, he scowled, hugging her tightly. Lily stayed silent, just crying into his shoulder.  
  
"Lily... Lil, c'mon, it's alright. Did she hurt you?" Remus' voice was patient, affectionate. Lily lifted her tear streaked face, shaking her head a bit.  
  
"No... Not really..." She speaks up hesitantly, glancing at the door to the family room, where the other three guys were still sleeping.  
  
"Lily, forget about those three. If they heard, they heard. I give you my word that they won't say anything about it, or treat you differently, or anything." Remus set his hand underneath her chin, tilting her head so he could see the cut. Grabbing a wet washcloth, he cleans the cut gently. Lily flinches in pain, but he continues.  
  
"Remmy... I didn't mean to make her mad..." She told him softly. Remus smiles, kissing her forehead gently.  
  
"Hey, I know that, Lil. We came home at 10 o'clock. He never stays that late, does he?" The reassurance in his voice calmed Lily down slightly. Lily shook her head. "See? How were we to know?" Lily smiled again, before returning to making breakfast. The smell woke the rest of her friends, who came into the kitchen.  
  
"Breakfast... I'm starving..." Sirius flopped down in a chair with a grin. James laughed, ruffling his friend's hair.  
  
"Siri, you're always starving!" Amy complained.  
  
"I'm a growing boy!" Sirius argued, rather defensively. Lily giggled, shaking her head.  
  
"You'll be using that same excuse 30 years from now, Sirius..." Michelle added. Sirius grinned up at her.  
  
"Of course I will be!" He said proudly.  
  
A/N: Short, I know, but the next chapter will be longer. I was having a bit of writer's block on this fic. No longer! I have the outline for the rest of the story! Angie 


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